Earlier than & After: A Practically 400-Yr-OId Cape Close to Plymouth Rock

“Previous houses are, at greatest, slightly scary,” says Anna Allen, and she or he’s not speaking concerning the potential resident ghosts. “They will have complicated, uneven flooring plans, hazardous supplies, and a few fairly severe points, relying on their age.”

Maybe that’s exactly why Broad Oak Farm—a virtually 400-year-old six-bedroom Cape in Hanover, Massachusetts—had gone on- and off-market a complete of eight instances earlier than Anna and her husband lastly took up the torch as its latest stewards in late 2020. “We felt like we’d gained the lottery. The earlier house owners had taken such excellent care; actually, all it wanted was some paint,” Anna says.

The house—a humble portion of which was constructed within the 1640’s, earlier than America was even declared a rustic—was adorned within the theme of basic Americana design, every room bearing its personal garish shade of near-primary shade. Because the couple brushed and rolled their serene white-, taupe-, and slate-hued palette over each wall and cabinet, they paused over areas the place chips within the partitions supplied a kaleidoscope-like glimpse into the previous. “This house surprisingly hasn’t had that many homeowners, however each has left their mark,” Anna says. “It’s virtually comforting realizing that our model of Broad Oak Farm is impermanent, too. It’s like we’re giving the home a pause, letting it breathe, in order that the structure—the historical past—can converse for itself.”

Let’s take a tour.

Pictures by Anna Allen.

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